August 25, 2014, 7:00AM

To test the veracity of the Netflix series, we set up a screening of an Emmy-winning episode called "Tit Punch." Four graduates of Birmingham's Lovelady Center -- Karen Dube, Donna Burton, Jada McDaniel and Brandi Mizell -- offered their thoughts and criticisms. Full story »

July 15, 2014, 1:03AM

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the "Veep" actor offered his reaction to the latest nod from Emmy. Hale said he was in Alabama when the news came out, enjoying "a full Southern day." Full story »

July 10, 2014, 11:00AM

Laverne Cox appeared on the June 9, 2014, cover of TIME magazine. Her breakthrough role on "Orange Is the New Black" has received much attention, and helped Cox in her role as a transgender spokeswoman.

July 10, 2014, 10:53AM

Tony Hale has fond memories of his years at Samford University. "I fell in love with the campus, and I loved Birmingham," he said in a 2013 interview with The Birmingham News. âSamford was like its own little community. â¦ The education, the aesthetic, it all looked just like you would imagine a college would look like.â (Liesa Cole photo)

July 10, 2014, 10:53AM

A Season 2 episode of "Veep" allowed Tony Hale, right, to slip in a reference to Birmingham, as the location of an anniversary bash thrown by Gary's parents. His boss, Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), invited herself along, warming to Gary while in an herb-induced stupor, but changed her mind -- alas! -- when the haze wore off and clarity returned....

July 10, 2014, 10:53AM

Mobile native Laverne Cox has been building a career in TV and film for more than a decade. Cox is a veteran of reality TV, earning public attention in 2008 when she competed on the VH1 series "I Want to Work for Diddy." She also produced and starred in 2010's "TRANSform Me," giving makeovers to women across the country with...

July 10, 2014, 10:53AM

Tony Hale gave props to a couple of Birmingham barbecue joints on a 2013 episode of "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson." Hale talked to Ferguson about food in the South, and he mentioned visiting two places when he last came to Birmingham: Saw's BBQ, where he had the pork and greens dish, and Johnny Ray's, where he went...

July 10, 2014, 10:53AM

Tony Hale's 2013 Emmy win for his role on "Veep" was a touchstone in a career that started in 1997. His TV resume includes roles on "Arrested Development," "Chuck," "Sex and the City," "The Sopranos," "Justified" and many other shows.

July 10, 2014, 10:53AM

July 10, 2014, 10:53AM

Laverne Cox has been called an LGBT icon. The actress offered her reaction to that idea during a 2013 teleconference. "First of all, I feel way too young to be an icon, and I feel like thereâs so much more that Iâd like to accomplish before, you know, icon status," Cox said. "But thank you for that. I just want...

July 10, 2014, 10:53AM

Laverne Cox, right, has appeared on "Orange Is the New Black" for two seasons. Her character, Sophia Burset, is serving time in a Connecticut prison for credit card fraud. Burset, who was turned in by her son, was funding her transformation from male to female. (Netflix photo)

July 10, 2014, 10:53AM

Jodie Foster, left, directed episode three of the first season of "Orange Is the New Black." Flashbacks told the backstory of Laverne Cox's character, Sophia Burset, the prison beautician. (Laverne Cox Facebook photo)

July 10, 2014, 10:53AM

"Orange Is the New Black" caused a sensation during its first season, and the series received 12 Emmy nominations this year. Laverne Cox, third from left, received less screen time during the 2014 episodes, which caused some disappointment among her fans. (Netflix photo)

July 10, 2014, 10:53AM

Musician M. Lamar, left, twin brother of Laverne Cox, shared the character of Sophia on a key episode of "Orange Is the New Black." He played Sophia as a male firefighter, before her gender reassignment surgery. Cox, right, plays Sophia post-surgery. The episode earned an Emmy n nomination for director Jodie Foster. (Nexflix photos)